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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · swing · mug · rule · current · bank · drill · object

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. field — a subject
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — a thing
  13. field — for sport
  14. swing — music
  15. object — an aim
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — to protest
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com